On this day in 2015, I received my DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
I left the house that morning with my binder of retirement-related documents & forms and went to Fort Rucker’s Soldier Service Center for the final step to outprocess.
My actual last day in the Army was June 30th, but between this day and then I was on terminal leave (using up my vacation days).
After twenty years as a Soldier, this was the last day I wore a duty uniform. The uniform had changed during my time in service, I started in BDU’s and green one-piece flightsuits, transitioned to ACU’s and the associated flight uniform, and wore OCP while deployed to Afghanistan.

On this day in 2015, I had my final flight as an Army Aviator. My friend CW4 Dan Hiestand was able to get a flight approved with me in a TH-67, the same kind of aircraft I first flew as an Army Aviator in training (nearly 19 years earlier to the day) on February 20, 1996.

It was great to have my final flight with Dan. We have known each other for many years; we had previously served together at Fort Rucker as Kiowa Warrior instructors (2004-2005), we flew and served together in Alaska and deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom with 6-17 Cavalry (2008-2009), and we served and flew together in Afghanistan as MD530 instructors (2013).

I was incredibly lucky that in my final months before retirement, I had been afforded the opportunity to have a final flight in each of the Army aircraft I flew during my career. The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, the UH-72 Lakota, the OH-58C Kiowa, and the TH-67 Creek. I suppose my final flight in the MD530 was in Afghanistan.

I looked in my logbook and could not find this exact tail number from my flight school days. But it is possible I flew it during my training, there are quite a few entries that are without tail number entries in my logbook from 1996.

Seven years ago today, I was on a training flight near the ancient city of Farah in Afghanistan. The citadel partially shown in the first picture is believed to be one of a series of fortresses constructed by Alexander the Great when he came to the area c. 330 B.C. The pink house just outside the wall on the southeast corner is a vacation home owned by John Mellencamp (not really). Houses in the area are rarely any color other than the color similar to the terrain, so this pink house really stood out. There is a Google Maps link to the Citadel of Farah below.

The second picture is just a nifty selfie I snapped while my student pilot in the left seat was flying. Some of the city can be seen in the reflection of my visor.

88 YEARS AGO TODAY: 22 February 1932
The modern Purple Heart medal was established by General Order #3, signed by General Douglas MacArthur. The date was chosen in observance the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington. The award was inspired by the Badge of Military Merit, created by Washington in the waning days of the Revolution.

As was the Badge of Military Merit, the Purple Heart was also originally a merit-based award. Wounds received in action were one way a person could qualify for the award. However, since 1942, the medal is awarded to U.S. servicemembers who have been killed or wounded by enemy action.

Western Afghanistan was an interesting place to fly. Team instructor pilots would often go out for multi-ship cross-country flight training with our Afghan student pilots.
On this particular day, we departed Shindand Air Base (OASD) and went south through the mountain range and on to the US FOB near Farah for refuel, then returned to Shindand.
On the flight down, I asked my Afghan trainee to take a video clip of me flying.
Also on the way south, we orbited this old citadel. I haven’t been able to find any information on who made them, but there is a chain of them between Herat and Farah. In my opinion, they look 18th or 19th century-ish. Can you spot the MD530?
On the way back to Shindand Air Base from Farah, our team of 2 found a nice wide ridgeline at about 7000’MSL.
After a good flight, safely back at Shindand Air Base, our sightseeing, um, training flight complete, there was time for a selfie, then put our trusty steed away for the night and head over to chow.

#Pamir62
#Sightseeing
#Training

January 17, 2013

Here is a link to the citadel in Google Maps:
https://goo.gl/maps/YZvAz5m9CU2KRtsL6

I know the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas season is a time of giving, especially on Giving Tuesday. A lot of people give to various charities towards the end of the year.
If you’re in the charitable mood, may I suggest one or all of the following organizations:
American Red Cross @RedCross
Wounded Warrior Project @wwp
United Service Organizations (USO) @the_USO
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) @VFWHQ
Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) @MOPH_HQ

I have been touched by each of these organizations since I was wounded in September 2013. I am so very thankful for the support they gave my family & me, and continue to give all our military men and women in need.

The Afghan Air Force invited us to a small celebration over at their headquarters building on the Shindand Air Base FOB. I think they were having a reception to congratulate the small class of fixed-wing flight school graduates. There was the usual array of snacks, cookies, and of course there was tea. The cooler in the corner with factory-sealed beverages appealed more to me until I saw the cans. This still makes me chuckle.